Display device



'i ...Surface may Fatented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES `PATENT oFFlca.

LOUIS A. LEPPXE AND JOHN HARRY SCHARF, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA. DISPLAYDEVICE.

v Application led December 10, 1926. Serial No. 153,821.

Our invention relates to improvements in display devices, particularlyto that class of display devices 1n which the objects are retained uponthe dis lay surface by other 5 than complicated mexanical means, so thatthe objects displayed are readily applied and removed.

One pur ose of our invention is to provide` a display evice in which onemotion, that of placing the display object in the desired position, willeffect the fixing and one motion will effect the removal of/ the objectin relation to the display surface, thus eliminating the various motionsnecessary when hooks,

clips, clamps or other mechanical means are employed to fix such objectsto the display surface.

' Another object of ou-1` invention is .to provide a device by which anyobject may be attached to the display surface at any ocation and at anyangle without other motion than the placing of the object on thesurface,

the oby'ects being removable by a sin le vmotion a so, thus eliminatingall mec anical means from the process of attaching and removin displayobjects in relation to display sur aces.

A further object of our invention representing specifically itsimprovement in the art, is to provide a displlay device in whichLobjects of any size and s ape suitable for disi play upon a desiredsize and shape of display be arranged in any position, -v@relation orangle desired. Our invention 35,l therefore, provldes an easily andquickly i variable display device having a wide range 0f uses includingthe display of letters and other indicia of signs, characters fordisplay 'in educational processes and articles ofcom- 40' merce.

. The results are accom lished in our invention` by improved andJAdifferent details of structure, the referred forms of which areillustrated in t e accompanyingdrawings lidia which:

" 4 ,"Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device f .'lembodyingthepresent| invention.

, .A Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the kob'ect holders. ti .H1g. 3 is a group perspec ve view 1 ustrating the assemblage of objectholders.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through one of the assembled objectholders.

through.

" pole members 5.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view there-` Fihg. 6 is a perspectiveview illustrating a mod ilied form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantiallly on the line 7-7of Fig. 6, lookm0 m the irection indicated by the arrows.

`1g. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of object holder.

Referring in detail to the drawin s:

l designates a background or ard which may be of any suitable size andshape for displaying a sign and of a material capable of receiving andretaining a magnetic charge, so that it may serve either as the keeperof a number of relatively small, permanent magnets, or may itselfattract and hold a plurality of relative] small armatures by magneticinduction. n the following description we will referto the board as akeeper, and to thev mounting members as magnets, but without intentionof limiting the scope of the invention to that arrangement to theexclusion of the reverse.

2 designates a base onwhich is mounted an object of display 3, suchobject bein formed integrally with base or attache thereto by suitablemeans. 4 is a magnetizable body havinfr a plurality of pole members 5. 6is a plate of `material havinglaffinity for the material of the base 2and that can easily be glued, soldered or otherwise secured thereto. Theplate 6 is bent' to produce a socket 7, the lane of said base beingpreserved, socket 7 being designed in shape and osition for thereception of the magnetizab e body 4. The magnetizable body 4 may beprovided with corrugations or roughening 8 on the side 'opposite itsFigs. 6 and 7 represent variations in form in which the base 2 is bentas at 9 to meetthe plate 6, as contrasted with the preferred form inwhich the plate 6 is bent to meet the base 2. In such variable formplate 6 is provided with apertures 10 through which a plurality of poles5 may be extended.` 1l represents the 100 means of securing lplate 6 tobase 2, preferably rby glue, a though rivets may be employed.

The parts of the object holder are assembled as follows:

Base 2 is rovided of suitable size for such use oft e display device asmay be desired, and of appropriate material such as Celluloid, wood,

device rendered unrestricted. The object to be displayed may be madeintegral with the base or may be mounted upon said base. Themagnetizable body is then placed in position against the under side vofsaid base and opposite to the surface that bears the object, and suchmagnetizable body may be glued to the base, the holding process beingfacilitated bythe corrugations 8 that ma be provided. The plate 6 isthen applie the socket 7 fitting over the magnetizable body 4, poles ofsaid body protruding in a direction relatively perpendicular to said Theinner surface of plate 6 contacts the under surface of base 2. Plate 6,referably of material having ailinity for ase 2, is preferably attachedto base 2 by means of glue.

In the variable form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 plate 6 is provided of asize relatively the same as the size of base 2, and has a plurality ofapertures 10. The magnetizable body 4, in this form, is relatively largeand is provided with a relatively large number of poles. The body 4 isembraced by the base 2 and the plate 6, the pole members 5 extendingthrou h the provided apertures 10 in plate 6. uch variation is designedfor the use of the device in the display of objects relatively large andheavy. Another variation shown- 1n Fig. 8 may be employed when the baseis an oblong having relatively long sides. In such case the plate 4 isconstructed so as to extend substantially the len h of the base. Animportant feature o this variation consists in the fact that the polemembers of the magnetizable body are relatively longer than the body.The effect may be differently expressed by referring to the polesv asthe parallel sides of the bod extended therefrom to form the protru ingshoulders for contacting the body with the display surface.

Other variations (not shown) may be produced by the use of the elementsshown and the method described, without departing from the s irit ofthis invention. Material of suitab e character may be interposedA atsuitable situations to adjust the device to the effect of disturbanceofmagnetic lines due to the use of preferred materials and incidentalmechanisms. The device may be produced without display objects, andsuitable means may be provided on the base vfor the attachment ofobjects, thus providin additional flexibility in the employment o thefundamental velements of this invention. l

Further describing the assembly of the different features of the device:

The board 1 is provided, of suitable size and shape, and of materialdesigned to comin a sample advertisement displayed to 'a class studyingadvertising. The m netizable bodies will adhere to the board' in anyposition in which they are placed. When the display has served itspurpose the object holders may be removed or they may be Y.

readjusted or changed in part to meet the momentary requirement of theoperator.

It is apparent that, if desired, the board 1 may be made' of hardenedmetal and charged to constitute the magnet and the bodies heretoforereferred to as magnetizable bodies, may be made of soft metal toconstitute the keepers or armature niembers, in which case a magneticinduction will be set up when the body enters the field of the magnetand the object holders will be held to the board, the manipulation beiigidentical with that described in the other p an.

lt is also apparent that the angular position of the objects on the basemay be varied, and that the angle of incidence of the object holder tothe base may be varied by changing the form of the poles 5.

What we claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

`1. yIn a display device, a background having keeper characteristics, anobject holder, comprising a base, a magnetizable body, and a plate, saidplate securing said base to said magnetizable body.

2. In a display device, a background having keeper characteristics, anobject holder, comprising a base, a ma netzable body, comprising polesextended rom the bod and a plate securing said magnetizable dy to thesaid base.

3. In a display device, a back ound having keeper characteristics, an oject holderl comprisin a base, a magnetizable body, having po esextended to form lugs, a plate securing said base to said magnetizablebody, said base and said plate bein of materials havin adinity for eachot er.

4. In a display device, a background having keeper characteristics, anobject holder,

a base, a magnetizable body,

compiing the y iaving a plurality of poles, the

les being extended to form lugs, the numr and shape of said poles beingadjusted to the size and shape of the base, and a plate, securin saidmagnetizable body to said base, sai plate and base being of nonmagneticmaterial.

5. In a di lay device, a background having keeper c aracterstics, anobject holder,

comprising a base, ama etizable body, in said socket, the plate securingsaid magthe body havin a pluraly of poles of netizable body to saidbase, said pla-te and desired sha an length, the les being exbase beingof non-magnetic material. 10 tended to orm lugs, the num r and shape Intestimony whereof we aix our signa- 5 of said les being adjusted to thesize and tures. e

v shape o the base, and a plate, the plate hav-A LOUIS A. LEPPKE.

'ing a socket, the magnetizable body seated JOHN HARRY SCHARF.

